Lock for preventing unintentional removal of a cap from a bottle by utilizing a conventional padlock

ABSTRACT

A lock for preventing unintentional removal of a cap from a bottle by utilizing a conventional padlock. The lock includes a stationary portion and a movable portion. The movable portion is hingedly attached to the stationary portion, and has an open position and a closed position. The movable portion is pivoted away from the stationary portion when the movable portion is in the open positioned thereof allowing the cap of the bottle to be nestled against the stationary portion. The movable portion is pivoted from the open position thereof to engagement against the stationary portion forming a hollow and generally cylindrical-shape therewith when the movable portion is in the closed positioned thereof allowing the cap of the bottle to be captured between both the stationary portion and the movable portion and be maintained thereat by the padlock being operatively connected to both the stationary portion and the movable portion, thereby preventing the unintentional removal of the cap from the bottle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lock for preventing unintentionalremoval of a cap from a bottle, and more particularly, the presentinvention relates to a lock for preventing unintentional removal of acap from a bottle by utilizing a conventional padlock.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Numerous innovations for bottle cap locks have been provided in theprior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may besuitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address,however, they differ from the present invention in that they do notteach a lock for preventing unintentional removal of a cap from a bottleby utilizing a conventional padlock.

FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 2,820,565 issued to Oberle on Jan. 21, 1958in class 215 and subclass 98 teaches a container having a neck portionand a closure cap applicable to the container neck portion. Thecontainer neck portion and cap have cooperative apparatus operative byrotation of the latter relative to the former whereby to join the cap inclosed relation to the container. Apparatus releasably secures the thusjoined cap against unauthorized removal from the container, including anaxially moveable bolt piece having a bolt tongue dependent therefrom, aguide for the bolt piece fixed within the cap. The guide includes abottom wall through which the bolt tongue can be projected. The boltpiece has an upstanding cam member. A key acutable lock includes ahousing affixed to the cap above the bolt piece. A key barrel isrotatably supported by the housing. A bolt piece operating apparatus isconnected with the key barrel to rotate therewith and includes a radialthrust arm to operatively engage the cam member. A spring is interposedbetween the guide bottom wall and the bolt piece to urge the latter andits cam member toward the thrust arm for operative engagement thereby.The container neck portion has apparatus to receive the bolt tongue whenthe bolt piece is downwardly moved to locking position.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,697 issued to Roberts et al. onSep. 26, 1967 in class 215 and subclass 9 teaches a safety cap forbottles and the like, having an inner member and an outer memberrotatably mounted on the inner member with a clutch drive on one memberand a clutch driven on the other member. A spring between the inner andouter members normally moves the outer member apart from the innermember to release the clutch drive from the clutch driven. The clutchdrive and driven includes torque-limiting to permit the outer member toover-ride the inner member when the inner member is sufficiently tighton the bottle.

STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,932 issued to Rouse in class215 and subclass 9 teaches a safety closure is adapted for use on abottle containing poisonous drugs. An inner screw cap is shielded withinthe confines of a larger outer protective cap and is swivelly mounted ona journal to guard against unauthorized use. This journal has a keyholeslot for a key in the hand of an authorized user. The journal not onlycouples the caps, it operates concealed apparatus between the caps andconverts rotary into reciprocatory motion imparted to an unscrewing ribatop the inner cap.

YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,388 issued to Barras on Jan. 6,1976 in class 70 and subclass 159 teaches a locking apparatus includinga housing having an internal chamber. A first opening and a secondopening are formed within the housing providing access into the chamber.A cover is mounted by a hinge to the housing and is movable between aclosed position and an open position. The cover is capable of closingthe first opening when the cover is in the closed position. The openposition provides access into the chamber. A latching catch is attachedto the cover. A split band is adapted to surround a gas filler pipe. Theband is adjustable to different diameters. The band includes tighteningapparatus. A connecting flange attached to the band. The connectingflange is attachable by fastening apparatus to the housing about thesecond opening. A latching pawl is pivotally mounted within the housingand is movable between a latch position and an unlatch position. Firstbiasing apparatus is attached to the latching pawl exerting a continuousbias tending to locate the pawl in the latched position, with the pawlin the latched position the pawl connects with the latching catch. A keyactuated lock is mounted within the housing. The lock includes structurecapable of moving the pawl to the unlatched position.

STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,061 issued to Coote onOct. 4, 1988 in class 215 and subclass 215 teaches a screw top closureprovided with a freely rotating ring surrounding its periphery thuspreventing the user from rotating the closure by gripping the periphery.The ring is captivated on the closure and cannot easily be removed. Theclosure is provided with a key way on its upper surface, which the usercan engage with a key that is accessible only to authorized users.

YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,698 issued to Stuckey onJan. 15, 1991 in class 215 and subclass 207 teaches a lockable closurecap assembly including a closure cap having a threaded bore forthreadable engagement with the threads of a container neck, an annularshell surrounding the closure cap, and a mechanism for selectivelyengaging and disengaging the closure cap with the annular shell topermit rotation of the closure cap with the annular shell and freerotation of the annular shell with respect to the closure cap,respectively. The mechanism includes at least one projection on theclosure cap. A lock assembly is mounted in a bore in the annular shell.The lock assembly has a cam operating member. The closure cap has anupper surface. A clutch shoe carrier is rotatably nested on the uppersurface of the closure cap. At least one clutch shoe is slidably mountedin the clutch shoe carrier. An arcuate cam surface is formed in a leastone the clutch shoe and is operatively engaged with the cam operatingmember so that the clutch shoe is moved to and from engagement with theat least one projection on the closure cap solely by rotation of thecam.

STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,109 issued to Greenwaldon Nov. 7, 1995 in class 215 and subclass 207 teaches a device toprevent the unauthorized removal of a closure from the mouth of a bottlehaving an annular ring adjacent to the mouth about the bottle neck. Acap portion fits over the end of the bottle neck and receives within itthe annular ring, the bottle mouth and the closure. A locking mechanismhousing is formed adjacent the cap and communicates with the bore in thecap by way of a slot. In a first embodiment, a pawl is pivotally mountedin the housing and is spring biased to extend through the slot into thebore. A second embodiment uses a cam-controlled spring mechanism toslideably position the pawl in the cap portion or withdraw it therefrom.A tapered leading edge of the pawl causes the pawl to be displaced intothe housing as the annular ring of the bottle passes the pawl. Thespring forces the pawl in behind the ring to prevent removal of the cap.A third embodiment uses a sliding grip device in the cap to engage orwithdraw locking fingers whose positions are determined by the relativepositions of the grip device and the cap.

It is apparent that numerous innovations for bottle cap locks have beenprovided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, eventhough these innovations may be suitable for the specific individualpurposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable forthe purposes of the present invention as heretofore described, namely, alock for preventing unintentional removal of a cap from a bottle byutilizing a conventional padlock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a lock fora lock for preventing unintentional removal of a cap from a bottle byutilizing a conventional padlock that avoids the disadvantages of theprior art.

BRIEFLY STATED, ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide alock for preventing unintentional removal of a cap from a bottle byutilizing a conventional padlock. The lock includes a stationary portionand a movable portion. The movable portion is hingedly attached to thestationary portion, and has an open position and a closed position. Themovable portion is pivoted away from the stationary portion when themovable portion is in the open positioned thereof allowing the cap ofthe bottle to be nestled against the stationary portion. The movableportion is pivoted from the open position thereof to engagement againstthe stationary portion forming a hollow and generally cylindrical-shapetherewith when the movable portion is in the closed positioned thereofallowing the cap of the bottle to be captured between both thestationary portion and the movable portion and be maintained thereat bythe padlock being operatively connected to both the stationary portionand the movable portion, thereby preventing the unintentional removal ofthe cap from the bottle.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the presentinvention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself,however, both as to its construction and its method of operation,together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be bestunderstood from the following description of the specific embodimentswhen read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The figures of the drawing are briefly described as follows:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view, partially broken away,of the lock of the present invention for preventing unintentionalremoval of a cap from a bottle by utilizing a conventional padlock andbeing in the closed position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic perspective view of the lock of thepresent invention identified by ARROW 2 in FIG. 1 but in the openposition;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic top plan view taken generally in thedirection of ARROW 3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic bottom plan view taken generally inthe direction of ARROW 4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic top plan view taken generally in thedirection of ARROW 5 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic bottom plan view taken generally inthe direction of ARROW 6 in FIG. 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWING

-   10 lock of present invention for preventing unintentional removal of    cap 12 from bottle 14 by utilizing conventional padlock 16-   12 cap of bottle 14-   14 bottle-   16 conventional padlock-   17 neck of bottle 14-   18 stationary portion-   20 movable portion-   22 side wall of stationary portion 18-   24 top of stationary portion 18-   26 bottom of stationary portion 18-   28 top of side wall 22 of stationary portion 18-   30 bottom of side wall 22 of stationary portion 18-   32 pair of free edges of side wall 22 of stationary portion 18-   34 hinge part of stationary portion 18-   36 latch of stationary portion 18-   38 side wall of movable portion 20-   40 bottom of stationary portion 18-   42 top of side wall 38 of movable portion 20-   44 bottom of side wall 38 of movable portion 20-   46 pair of free edges of side wall 38 of movable portion 20-   48 hinge part of movable portion 20-   50 latch of movable portion 20

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate likeparts, and particularly to FIG. 1, which is a diagrammatic sideelevational view, partially broken away, of the lock of the presentinvention for preventing unintentional removal of a cap from a bottle byutilizing a conventional padlock and being in the closed position, thelock of the present invention is shown generally at 10 for preventingunintentional removal of a cap 12 from a bottle 14 by utilizing aconventional padlock 16, wherein the bottle 14 has a neck 17.

The configuration of the lock 10 can best be seen in FIGS. 2-6, whichare, respectively, an enlarged diagrammatic perspective view of the lockof the present invention identified by ARROW 2 in FIG. 1 but in the openposition, an enlarged diagrammatic top plan view taken generally in thedirection of ARROW 3 in FIG. 1, an enlarged diagrammatic bottom planview taken generally in the direction of ARROW 4 in FIG. 1, an enlargeddiagrammatic top plan view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 5in FIG. 2, and an enlarged diagrammatic bottom plan view taken generallyin the direction of ARROW 6 in FIG. 2, and as such, will be discussedwith reference thereto.

The lock 10 comprises a stationary portion 18 and a movable portion 20.The movable portion 20 is hingedly attached to the stationary portion18, and has an open position and a closed position. The movable portion20 is pivoted away from the stationary portion 18 when the movableportion 20 is in the open positioned thereof for allowing the cap 12 ofthe bottle 14 to be nestled against the stationary portion 18. Themovable portion 20 is pivoted from the open position thereof toengagement against the stationary portion 18 forming a hollow andgenerally cylindrical-shape therewith when the movable portion 20 is inthe closed positioned thereof for allowing the cap 12 of the bottle 14to be captured between both the stationary portion 18 and the movableportion 20 and be maintained thereat by the padlock 16 being operativelyconnected to both the stationary portion 18 and the movable portion 20,thereby preventing the unintentional removal of the cap 12 from thebottle 14.

The stationary portion 18 has a side wall 22, a top 24, and a bottom 26.The side wall 22 of the stationary portion 18 is generallyvertically-oriented, generally semi-cylindrical-shaped, and has a top28, a bottom 30, and a pair of free edges 32. The top 24 of thestationary portion 18 is generally horizontally-oriented, generallydisk-shaped, and extends radially inwardly from the top 28 of the sidewall 22 of the stationary portion 18. The bottom 26 of the stationaryportion 18 is generally horizontally-oriented, generallysemi-ring-shaped, and extends radially inwardly from the bottom 30 ofthe side wall 22 of the stationary portion 18 in a same direction asthat of the top 24 of the stationary portion 18.

The stationary portion 18 further has a hinge part 34 and a latch 36.The hinge part 34 of the stationary portion 18 extends radiallyoutwardly from one free edge 32 of the side wall 22 of the stationaryportion 18. The latch 36 of the stationary portion 18 extends radiallyoutwardly from the other free edge 32 of the side wall 22 of thestationary portion 18.

The movable portion 20 has a side wall 38 and a bottom 40. The side wall38 of the movable portion 20 is generally vertically-oriented, generallysemi-cylindrical-shaped, and has a top 42, a bottom 44, and a pair offree edges 46. The top 42 of the movable portion 20 engages under thetop 24 of the stationary portion 18 when the movable portion 20 is inthe closed portion thereof. The bottom 40 of the movable portion 20 isgenerally horizontally-oriented, generally semi-ring-shaped, and extendsradially inwardly from the bottom 44 of the side wall 38 of the movableportion 20 to engagement against the bottom 26 of the stationary portion18 to form a ring-shape when the movable portion 20 is in the closedportion thereof for capturing the neck of the bottle 14.

The movable portion 20 further has a hinge part 48 and a latch 50. Thehinge part 48 of the movable portion 20 extends radially outwardly fromone free edge 46 of the side wall 38 of the movable portion 20 tooverlapping engagement with the hinge part 34 of the stationary portion18 and is pivotally attached thereto. The latch 50 of the movableportion 20 extends radially outwardly from the other free edge 46 of theside wall 38 of the movable portion 20 to overlapping engagement withthe latch 36 of the stationary portion 18 and together with the latch 36of the stationary portion 18 are for receiving the padlock 16.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofconstructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in alock for preventing unintentional removal of a cap from a bottle byutilizing a conventional padlock, however, it is not limited to thedetails shown, since it will be understood that various omissions,modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of thedevice illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in theart without departing in any way from the spirit of the presentinvention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitutecharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

1. A lock for preventing unintentional removal of a cap from a bottle byutilizing a conventional padlock, wherein the bottle has a neck, saidlock comprising: a) a stationary portion; and b) a movable portion;wherein said movable portion is hingedly attached to said stationaryportion; wherein said movable portion has an open position; wherein saidmovable portion has a closed position; wherein said movable portion ispivoted away from said stationary portion when said movable portion isin said open positioned thereof for allowing the cap of the bottle to benestled against said stationary portion; and wherein said movableportion is pivoted from said open position thereof to engagement againstsaid stationary portion forming a hollow and generally cylindrical-shapetherewith when said movable portion is in said closed positioned thereoffor allowing the cap of the bottle to be captured between both saidstationary portion and said movable portion and be maintained thereat bythe padlock being operatively connected to both said stationary portionand said movable portion, thereby preventing the unintentional removalof the cap from the bottle.
 2. The lock of claim 1, wherein saidstationary portion has a side wall; wherein said stationary portion hasa top; wherein said stationary portion has a bottom; wherein said sidewall of said stationary portion is generally vertically-oriented;wherein said side wall of said stationary portion is generallysemi-cylindrical-shaped; wherein said side wall of said stationaryportion has a top; wherein said side wall of said stationary portion hasa bottom; wherein said side wall of said stationary portion has a pairof free edges; wherein said top of said stationary portion is generallyhorizontally-oriented; wherein said top of said stationary portion isgenerally disk-shaped; wherein said top of said stationary portionextends radially inwardly from said top of said side wall of saidstationary portion; wherein said bottom of said stationary portion isgenerally horizontally-oriented; wherein said bottom of said stationaryportion is generally semi-ring-shaped; and wherein said bottom of saidstationary portion extends radially inwardly from said bottom of saidside wall of said stationary portion in a same direction as said top ofsaid stationary portion.
 3. The lock of claim 2, wherein said stationaryportion has a hinge part; wherein said stationary portion has a latch;wherein said hinge part of said stationary portion extends radiallyoutwardly from one free edge of said side wall of said stationaryportion; and wherein said latch of said stationary portion extendsradially outwardly from the other free edge of said side wall of saidstationary portion.
 4. The lock of claim 3, wherein said movable portionhas a side wall; wherein said movable portion has a bottom; wherein saidside wall of said movable portion is generally vertically-oriented;wherein said side wall of said movable portion is generallysemi-cylindrical-shaped; wherein said side wall of said movable portionhas a top; wherein said side wall of said movable portion has a bottom;wherein said side wall of said movable portion has a pair of free edges;wherein said top of said movable portion engages under said top of saidstationary portion when said movable portion is in said closed portionthereof; wherein said bottom of said movable portion is generallyhorizontally-oriented; wherein said bottom of said movable portion isgenerally semi-ring-shaped; and wherein said bottom of said movableportion extends radially inwardly from said bottom of said side wall ofsaid movable portion to engagement against said bottom of saidstationary portion when said movable portion is in said closed portionthereof for capturing the neck of the bottle.
 5. The lock of claim 4,wherein said movable portion has a hinge part; wherein said movableportion has a latch; wherein said hinge part of said movable portionextends radially outwardly from one free edge of said side wall of saidmovable portion to overlapping engagement with said hinge part of saidstationary portion; wherein said hinge part of said movable portion ispivotally attached to said hinge part of said stationary portion;wherein said latch of said movable portion extends radially outwardlyfrom the other free edge of said side wall of said movable portion tooverlapping engagement with said latch of said stationary portion andtogether with said latch of said stationary portion are for receivingthe padlock.